Former Quinnipiac Pitcher Robbie Hitt is back at Quinnipiac, this time as the Quinnipiac pitching coach.

Spencer Decker, Hockey and Baseball beat writer

After Robbie Hitt played for Quinnipiac head baseball coach John Delaney, he followed a similar path as Delaney did to the majors. Hitt graduated in 2018, and the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 24th round of the 2017 MLB draft. The Brewers selected Delaney in 2008. Their shared experience created a natural connection for Hitt when he interviewed to become Quinnipiac’s pitching coach.

“When I stopped my playing career and got into coaching it was definitely one of my goals to get back here” Hitt said. “I loved playing for [Coach Delaney], and he’s taught me a lot in the coaching realm as well.”

Hitt was one of the top starting pitchers on Delaney’s  staff in 2017, pitching more than  58 innings. That was the second most on the staff that season. Delaney also has mentored Hitt, talking with  him during offseasons and connecting when he pitched in the minor leagues. 

“Robbie’s awesome and he was a competitor when he was here,” Delaney said. “To have someone that knows Quinnipiac, knows the program and knows who it has been running for years and to bring someone back that knows how to run this thing is huge. … From a pitching standpoint, he’s been awesome this year. The guys love him and it’s been the reason why we’ve been in so many games and had so much success.”

Hitt returned to Quinnipiac for more than a coaching job. He returned to a school he loved. A school where he spent three seasons under his former head coach. And to recall some old memories.

“Some of my favorite [moments of my life] are college baseball,” he said. “Professionally, a lot of the time it’s more about the play development than winning, especially in the minor leagues. Getting back to that college game where it’s all about winning was a major piece [in my decision].”

The Brewers cut Hitt in 2022 after he pitched in Class AA. He then joined the Sussex County Miners to finish out his career in 2024. Despite playing in a lower level, Hitt said he enjoyed his time there and felt it helped him get ready to become a coach.

“I like to say I got my Ph.D. in Baseball,” Hitt said “I played eight years professionally in addition to my three college years, so I learned a lot.”

Hitt is one of 23 Quinnipiac players to be drafted to an MLB team in the history of Quinnipiac baseball. One of those 23 was his teammate Matthew Batten. Batten, a draft selection of the San Diego Padres, is one of two players to graduate from Quinnipiac and still make it to the major leagues, joining Turk Wendell. Batten, along with other teammates of Hitt, also had high praise for Hitt as a teammate, and they were excited when he saw he would be the pitching coach at Quinnipiac.

“It was all support [when they found out],” Hitt said. “Everybody’s close. I stay in touch with those guys [and it was] all very supportive. I’ve had some buddies throughout New England and everyone’s in a different spot but they come out to try and to catch a game when we are on the road.”

Delaney is a coach first and focuses on his team, but he always wants his players to find a place in the professional industry. Hitt has, and Delaney couldn’t be more proud .

“It’s great to have former players come back,” Delaney said. “From a coaching standpoint with all of my players that come through here, I want to see them progress in what they want their future to be. We push these guys hard because I want them to not just be average when they leave here and to have a successful career because of how hard they worked. We’ve had alumni reach out to players and say if you can play at Quinnipiac then we can take you anytime in our workforce.”

Making the transition from player to coach can be difficult. Despite that Hitt has loved his first couple months on  the Bobcats’ staff.

“I still have that player mentality. I love just being a part of the group,” he said. “It’s the biggest thing [for me]. Working with the kids and helping them hopefully achieve their dreams is great for me.”

Quinnipiac sits tied for seventh in the MAAC standings as of Thursday, and is seeking  to qualify as one of the six teams in the field. With 12 games left, Quinnipiac will look to make it to the 2026 MAAC Baseball Championship, a six-team double elimination championship May 20-23 at Heritage Financial Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Hitt had a message for the players  as they look to find a spot in the championships.

“We’ve transitioned to where we’re playing nine nine-inning games,” he said, “so I’m going out and telling them that they’re closing the first inning and resetting and closing the second inning instead of guys thinking they need to save themselves. We got plenty of bullpen depth so just give it all you got.”